Colorado
Colorado buys 1,800 acres near Fairplay as playground for hunters, anglers, bird watchers, wildlife lovers
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has acquired Collard Ranch in Park County and will turn it into a state wildlife area, an acquisition Gov. Jared Polis hailed Friday as an “enormous opportunity” for hunters, anglers, bird watchers, wildlife lovers and photographers.
The 1,860-acre property located near Fairplay provides an important elk migration corridor, officials say, and offers five miles of good fishing habitat along Tarryall Creek.
“Within 60 miles of the Denver metro area, to be able to have a breathtaking, significant 1,800-acre property with hunting and fishing for Coloradans to enjoy is absolutely incredible,” Polis said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife will open it as the Collard Ranch State Wildlife Area following the completion of infrastructure and accessibility projects.
The purchase was completed in partnership with the Western Rivers Conservancy and Great Outdoors Colorado. GOCO contributed $6.25 million from state lottery proceeds. Another $2 million came from CPW’s habitat-stamp program from fees raised through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
“The state is able to engage in this kind of meaningful public access enhancement and improvement because of the lottery and fees paid by hunters and anglers,” Polis said.
“Tarryall Creek is a special area to so many people in Colorado, with easy access for Park County residents and folks living on the Front Range,” said Allen Law, Interior West Project Manager for the Western Rivers Conservancy, in a news release. “We are proud to partner with CPW to forever protect this stretch of the creek, especially given its importance to a critical wildlife corridor and its iconic views of Kenosha Pass.”
The conservancy acquired Collard Ranch in December to preserve it for public access under CPW management.
“One of the South Platte River’s principal tributaries is Tarryall Creek, which flows from the 13,823-foot Mount Silverheels and is known for its excellent brown and rainbow trout fishing,” according to a post on the conservancy’s website. “Roughly 10 miles northeast of the town of Fairplay, Tarryall Creek flows through the 1,860-acre Collard Ranch, which sits immediately off of Highway 285. For five miles, the stream meanders through the ranch’s open grasslands in beautiful horseshoe bends, with 360-degree views of the Lost Park Wilderness, the Kenosha Mountains and the Mosquito Range.”
Sales of habitat stamps have helped CPW guarantee hunting and fishing access to more than 146 million acres of land since 2006 with 316,000 acres of important fish and wildlife habitat.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s acquisition of the Collard Ranch property marks a significant conservation success for our state,” CPW director Jeff Davis said in the release. “The purchase underscores CPW’s mission to preserve land for outdoor enthusiasts.”
Great Outdoors Colorado has invested $1.4 billion in Colorado Lottery proceeds since 1992 to help the state acquire and preserve land for public access. Through its Centennial Program, GOCO targets “once-in-a-generation” parcels.
“Western Rivers Conservancy and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have given us exactly that kind of opportunity with the Collard Ranch project,” GOCO executive director Jackie Miller said in the release, “and we are proud to help make it a reality for Colorado with our $6.25-million investment.”
According to the governor’s office, since Polis became governor, CPW has acquired 558,000 acres of new land for public access through fee titles, public access easements, and public access leases.
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How to register to vote in Colorado
There are three ways to register to vote in Colorado: online, by mail or in person.
The Colorado primary election is June 30.
The primary election will determine party nominees for the November election, and multiple seats with ties to Larimer County have contested races on the Democratic ballot or Republican ballot.
The Coloradoan has conducted candidate questionairres in the four contested races specific to voters in Larimer County.
Find links to our coverage below. This story will be updated as additional content is published.
Larimer County treasurer and public trustee
Two candidates are running for the Democratic Party nomination for Larimer County treasurer and public trustee: Conor Duffy, a finance professional and Poudre School District school board member, and Joann Ginal, a former state senator who represented Fort Collins in the Colorado legislature.
The winner of the primary will face Republican Steve Olson, a former Loveland City Council member.
Colorado House District 51
Two candidates are running for the Republican Party nomination to represent House District 51 in Loveland: Amy Parks, a communications professional who temporarily served as district representative in 2022, and Nancy Rumfelt, a financial professional and Thompson School District board member.
The winner of the primary will face Jacki Marsh, a Democrat and the former Loveland mayor.
Use this tool to find out if you live in House District 51.
U.S. House Congressional District 2
Two candidates are running for the Republican Party nomination to represent the 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives: Christina Blunt (Ducommun), a business owner and single mom, and Kelley Anne Dennison, a massage therapist.
The winner of the primary will face Rep. Joe Neguse, the Democrat who currently represents the district.
See what congressional district you live in by searching your address using this tool.
U.S. House Congressional District 4
Two candidates are running for the Democratic Party nomination to represent the 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives: Eileen Laubacher, a Navy veteran and National Security Council official, and Jenna Preston, a clinical psychologist. Preston is running as a write-in candidate, which means anyone who wants to vote for her will have to write her name in on the blank space provided on the ballot.
The winner of the primary will face Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Republican who has represented the district since early 2025. Prior to that, Boebert was the 3rd Congressional District representative.
See what congressional district you live in by searching your address using this tool.
What about other races on 2026 Colorado primary ballots?
Every other non-statewide race on the Democratic and Republican ballots is uncontested in the primary.
Who can return ballots in the 2026 Colorado primary election?
Remember that anyone who is registered as a Republican or Democrat can return only their party’s ballot.
Unaffiliated voters may choose which of those ballots to return, but only one can be returned. If both are returned, neither will be counted.
Two other parties are holding primary elections, with the Libertarian ballot including just candidates for secretary of state and the Unity ballot including just candidates for governor. Those ballots can only be returned by party members.
Voters registered for a party without a primary will not receive a ballot.
Other Colorado primary election content to check out
When is the Colorado primary election?
The primary election is June 30, 2026. Bookmark this story so you can find our latest content as you get ready to turn in your ballot.
The Colorado Buffaloes have a revamped roster and coaching staff under coach Deion Sanders, but the expectations for the team are rather low.
Betting odds for Colorado’s win total are set at 4.5, per FanDuel Sportsbook, and they are tied with the worst odds of winning the Big 12 championship.
Colorado Buffaloes May Be Underrated
ESPN’s Bill Connelly revealed his Big 12 preview, and he explained an interesting caveat around Colorado’s ranking in the SP+, a predictive system that ranks teams based on their efficiency while adjusting for opponents. The Buffaloes are ranked No. 65 overall by the SP+, and only West Virginia is behind Colorado at No. 66.
With a new roster, Colorado is more difficult to predict, though.
“We saw last year that Colorado still has an awfully low floor, but if Lewis indeed comes into his own at QB, the ceiling could be just as high: There’s more proven production on this roster than even the nine-win 2024 team had. It has to jell, and massive makeovers always come with risks,” writes Connelly. “But I like this team’s potential a lot more than SP+ does. And when have I ever been wrong?”
If Colorado can string together some wins, the Buffaloes will be one of the more surprising teams in the country. However, some of the new transfers joining the program have already been drawing attention.
Out of Connelly’s top 10 transfers in the Big 12, two of Colorado’s newcomers made the cut: linebacker Gideon Lampron and wide receiver Kam Perry, while receiver Danny Scudero received a mention as well.
The Buffs’ schedule features two Power 4 teams in the non-conference slate with Georgia Tech and Northwestern, and then Colorado faces Big 12 play with matchups against Texas Tech, Utah, and Oklahoma State.
Colorado’s Chances in 2026
The bottom of the Big 12 is rather close together by the SP+ with seven teams, nearly half of the conference, ranked between No. 50 and No. 66 overall.
Not only does this give Colorado room to climb if the combination of quarterback Julian Lewis with his new wide receivers and a new offensive coordinator in Brennan Marion can click. The Buffaloes brought in Danny Scudero, Kam Perry, and DeAndre Moore to replenish the wide receiver room, but defensive coordinator Chris Marve will also have to do his part with a new group of defensive transfers.
Colorado was among the worst teams in the country in 2025 when it came to stopping the run, and a group of new Buffs will be tasked with turning around the unit. Some new names like defensive lineman Ezra Christensen, linebacker Liona Lefau, and defensive back Boo Carter.
Still, if Colorado is able to string together some wins, it will likely come from outscoring opponents on the offensive side of the ball with the arrival of Marion and the return of Lewis. The Buffaloes lost four one-score games in 2025, surrendering an average of 20 points in those losses.
Winning six games and making a bowl game would be beating expectations for Colorado, although the Buffaloes seem to have the potential to build some momentum and string together some wins in 2026.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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